The Beast Of Shadows
by PhantomShadow1115
Summary: Terrorists are attacking Japan. They steal random and innocent citizens to become part of their "helpful experiments." When Kuroko mysteriously goes missing, the Kiseki no Sedai go haywire, trying to find their missing friend. Little did they know, they were going to be dragged into a war. (From Wattpad).
1. Prologue

Kuroko Tetsuya was walking with his sister, Kikuro, back to his apartment. Kuroko had taken her out to Maji's Burger for vanilla milkshakes and french fries. They were currently arguing about Kuroko's eating habits.

"Tetsuya, you need to eat more!" Kikuro had cried, "And only a milkshake? Even if your body is especially atoned to that, you can't expect good results from sugar and calcium!"

"Kikuro, I have also eaten french fries." Kuroko said, slightly annoyed, but you couldn't tell from his features or tone of voice.

"Great, so sugar, calcium, and carbs," Kikuro huffed exasperatedly, "But carbs are basically sugar, so it's still just calcium and sugar."

"Hai." Suddenly, an idea struck Kikuro.

"Well, it's your team you're letting down with your terrible eating habits, not mine." Kikuro said.

"My team won't be affected by a vanilla milkshake." If you were listening closely, you could hear the annoyance creeping into his voice, but his face remained as stoic as ever.

"No, but you know what will?" Kikuro continued before Tetsuya could continue, "Your abilities. Are you really going to throw in the towel for Seirin, for a milkshake?" Tetsuya had frowned, but didn't argue. Kikuro counted that as a win, so she let the silence sit. Then, Tetsuya noticed something off.

"Kikuro, do you know why the streets are empty?" Tetsuya was now looking around, deeply troubled. Kikuro remained silent, also worried now. Suddenly, Tetsuya felt something-no, someone run into him. This someone sent him crashing to the ground, and Kikuro screamed.

"Kikuro!" Tetsuya shouted, but he was unable to help his sister because this someone was pinning him down. Before Tetsuya could get a good look at the person, someone else's hand covered his eyes. A soft and moist cloth was placed over Tetsuya's mouth. The liquid on the cloth was tasted overpoweringly sickly sweet. Tetsuya felt like he was slowly being pulled away from his body, and being slowly pushed underwater. His senses were dulling, and his breathing deepening. Soon, his consciousness left him.


	2. Missing

Kagami's legs screamed out in pain. Figuratively, of course. Kagami's arms ached in ways he didn't know was possible. And he still wasn't done. Kagami rested his palms on his knees and tried to catch his breath. As much as he dreaded the practice after the five minute break, Kagami knew that winning the Winter Cup was just the beginning. Sure, they may have won, but that didn't mean that they could just slack off. No, they'd have to work very hard to keep there spot.

Hence why he was fuming. Kuroko was not at practice. And Kagami could feel his rage simmering just beneath the surface. 'Where is Kuroko?' was what the redhead was thinking.

"Kagami, you look terrifying." Hyuga's voice jolted Kagami into reality, "Why are you so mad?"

"Captain!" Kagami shouted, "Kuroko is not here! I'm not even sure he went to class!"

"Eh? Really?" Kagami sweat-dropped at his captain's obliviousness.

"Where the hell is that damn bastard?!" Kagami shouted at no one. The whole team had looked at Kagami in surprise at his outburst. Who wouldn't?

"Stop yelling!" Coach snapped at Kagami, "Kuroko is probably fine, so you don't need to yell over nothing!"

"Probably?!" Came the cries of the whole team.

"You think he's sick?" Furihata asked.

"Call Kuroko." Koganei suggested, "Did you think of that?"

"You can call him after practice!" Coach yelled loudly, "Back to work, boys!"

"Hai!" And everyone continued their workouts. But Kagami couldn't focus. He still practiced as hard as he could, but his thoughts were always stuck on Kuroko. What if it was more than just sick? What if Kuroko had been seriously hurt? Or worse? These worries swirled around Kagami's mind. Restlessly making Kagami antsy and irritated.

At last, practice was over. Kagami changed and rushed over to his back and yanked out his phone. Kagami flipped it open and called Kuroko.

"Pprrtt..." Kagami waited expectantly for Kuroko to answer, but nothing came from the other side.

"Kuroko, you bastard..." Kagami muttered furiously. He tried calling again, but to no avail. 'Why was Kuroko not answering? He usually answers as soon as possible.' Kagami thought.

"Is Kuroko answering?" Kawahara asked.

"No, the bastard." Kagami replied. Everyone in the room was staring at their ace, who was seething with rage. 'He looks scarier than when he got subbed out during his first Too match.' everyone thought.

"Why don't you go over and check on him?" Coach suggested, "If you're so worried." There was nods from everyone on the team.

"Just ME?" Kagami shouted. Wasn't the rest of the team going to come, too?

"Hai." Hyuga replied, "Me, Izuki, Koganei, Mitobe, and Kiyoshi have a group project to work on, and since Izuki hasn't met up with us in a while, we have extra work to do."

"Besides, it's probably nothing." Koganei added, "And we all have school work."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Hey, does anyone know where he lives?" Kagami asked. Everyone looked at each other. Awkward silence filled the gym.

Hyuga sighed, "So that's a no then, right?"

The others may have been unworried, but Kagami refused to shrug off his partner's absence as a passing sickness, or something even pettier. If that were the case, then Kuroko would have called, or sent a note. Kuroko was not one to cause unnecessary panic among his peers.

"Who would know where Kuroko lives?" Coach wondered aloud.

"What about Akashi?" Furihata suggested tentatively.

"Okay, I'll call him on the way home."

Kagami changed and walked out of the gym, the last one out.

~Time Skip~

He was sitting at Maji's Burger, unable to think clearly from the worry. He pulled out his phone and dialed Akashi's number. Kagami hoped the Emperor was in a good mood, Kagami had gotten scissored once, he didn't need to get scissored again.

"Moshi Moshi." Akashi answered the phone on the fourth ring.

A/N: Is "Moshi Moshi" right?

"Akashi!" Kagami greeted him loudly, "I was wondering if you had Kuroko's address."

"And why do you need that?"

"Er... Kuroko didn't show up to practice today, and I wanted to make sure he was okay."

"Meet me at Maji's."

"Hello, Taiga."

"Akashi!" the Kagami cried out, whirling in his seat quickly to face the Emperor, "How did you get here so fast?" Then Kagami noticed the other Miracles. "Wha- What are you all doing here?!" Kagami asked after settling down and scanning the group, "And where is Kise and Murasakibara?"

"I was in fact going to call a Kiseki no Sedai Meeting, and I know how much the others like Maji's Burger, so I just happened to be in the area. Ryota did not respond, so I intend to punish him greatly. Atsushi said he had to study with Tatsuya for an exam, so I let that slide." Akashi said indifferently, ignoring the shivers of fear and piteous faces while stopping Aomine from shouting out, "But you said Tetsuya is missing?"

"Uh, hai." Kagami said, "No one knows where he is." The others frowned.

"It is unlike Kuroko to skip practice without notifying you." Midorima thought aloud, "Once, he and Aomine even tried to ditch, but Kuroko told Akashi about it."

"Do you know where he lives or not?!" Kagami yelled, but he was laughing on the inside.

"Yes, I do." Akashi looked at Kagami coolly, but you could see some irritation in his eyes. He motioned for Kagami to follow him, and Kagami complied. They walked out of the restaurant together. Kagami didn't even get any food. The group boarded a train for about 10 minutes. Kagami was staring at the Emperor. After all, no one sees the heir to an extremely well-known and renowned business company riding on a public transportation.

After they exited the train, they walked down the main street for about five minutes. The group just walked in silence. No one really knew what to talk about, and Akashi didn't really mind the silence. They were walking behind small one-story houses now. The sun was starting to set by the time they came to Kuroko's house, so no one was walking down the sidewalk. There were less streetlamps too, and thus the street was darker than the main street.

Kuroko's was simple, a brown roof and tan walls, it had a porch and an awning. But what was really strange was that the door was open. The whole house dark, and packages sat in front of the door.

"This... is his house?" Kagami muttered, "It's so plain... yet it screams 'Kuroko'..."

"Baka!" Midorima snapped at him, "Focus on the bigger picture!"

"For once, the Oha-Asa freak is right." Aomine said darkly, "Tetsu is not nearly irresponsible enough to leave his house in this state."

"O-Oha-Asa f-freak?!" Midorima shrieked in outrage.

"Tetsuya is not one to be so irresponsible." Akashi agreed, "Something is wro-" Akashi was cut off by a low growl.

GGGGGRRRRRRR...

Two large dark brown... things came out. They were as big as Murasakibara with broad shoulders and huge hands. They were furry, and they had what looked like the head of wolves. They were snarling and snapping. They had red beady eyes, and swiveling ears. Their tails were swishing slowly. Their hind paws were more lupine like than human. Their teeth long, jagged, and white. Their fingertips were black like eagle talons, and just as sharp.

"What the hell?" Aomine whispered to the others as quietly as possible, "What are they?" Aomine had not meant that to come out as a whisper, but he couldn't raise his voice. His fists balled, but that was in an effort to keep his hands from shaking.

"Follow my lead." Akashi said in a low voice, ignoring Aomine. Akashi slowly slid into a crouch, and, making as little sudden movements as possible, crept away. The Kiseki no Sedai followed along without hesitation. The Kaibutsu lowered themselves as well, now on all-fours. They prowled forward, and Akashi froze.

Kagami watched with horror. His cynophobia was kicking in, and was making his legs weak and his heart beat fast. There was a discomfort in his chest, one that can be classified at anxiety. His throat constricted, and he was finding it hard to breathe.

"Shintaro, throw your lucky item at them." Akashi ordered Midorima in a low voice, "As hard as you can."

Midorima suddenly flung a small black sphere at the Kaibutsu. When the sphere landed, it hissed and smoke started to burst out of it, quickly shrouding the Kaibutsu. The Kaibutsu yelped in surprise and backed away.

"Run!" Akashi hissed at the other Sedais. They shot off, the Kaibutsu unable to follow because their noses were too full of smoke. When they reached the brighter main street, the paused and let themselves actually think through their situation.

"W-what were they?" Midorima stuttered, staring down the road they just came from (Those goddamn athletes weren't even out of breath). Midorima would be lying if he didn't say he wasn't scared. His hand were shaking, and his heart ready to burst from his body. But in his mind, he was blessing Oha-Asa for saying that Cancers might need a minor smoke bomb (don't you worry how he got the bomb, dear reader).

"Werewolves?" Aomine offered, his voice slightly higher than usual.

"Ahomine, werewolves don't exist." Kagami snapped at him.

"Then how do you explain those things, BAKAGAMI?" Aomine shot back at him.

"Enough, Taiga, Daiki." Akashi glared daggers at the two, making them gulp, "I do not have the patience of Tetsuya nor the willingness to let you two be." Aomine and Kagami glared at each other once, probably with an expression along the lines of, We'll finish this later. Midorima rolled his eyes at their antics, but said nothing to aggravate the two.

"Akashi, do you have an explanation for us?" Midorima asked instead.

"...no." Midorima could hear the hesitance when Akashi admitted it. That was terrifying, knowing that someone who had power over the government had no idea what was going on.

"Those things were at Tetsu's house." Aomine didn't continue, knowing that the others would understand.

"Does... this mean that..." Kagami couldn't continue. His throat was still tight, and his legs still numb.

"No, they had no blood on them." Akashi said, "Tetsuya would not go down without a fight."

"Yeah... yeah, you're right." Kagami sighed, "This trip has raised more questions than it answered."

"Yes, but it's too late to find more answers now." Akashi agreed, "We'll split up now, and meet in the morning."

"Uh, Akashi, not to burst your bubble or something but... tomorrow I have school." Kagami said.

"I don't care." Akashi said firmly, "Come to Maji's or not, it's up to you, just make sure to tell your coaches that you'll be out for the day. Come by 7."

"'Kay." Aomine took it in stride, not even shocked by Akashi's demands anymore. Once you've stuck it out with the Emperor for over 3 years, you get used to him.

"Wha-" Kagami was interrupted.

"Are you defying me?" The Sedais furiously shook their heads behind Akashi's back at Kagami. Their faces clearly said, 'Don't aggravate him further, BAKAGAMI!!!'

"No..."

"Good." Akashi turned to the others who'd breathed out a sigh of relief, "Until we meet again."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Thank you for reading so far! If you like it, please say so! I am currently working on the next chapter so don't worry. Unfortunately, I'm that kind of person who starts something, gets some great idea, then doesn't complete either for a while, so sorry if this story takes a long time. Ja, until next time!

~PhantomShadow1115


	3. Investigation

Kagami crept home that night, constantly on edge. He didn't know if he was going to see those Kaibutsu again, so he wanted to be wary. Kagami was not about to become dog food. When he actually got home, he couldn't turn off his lights, too afraid to be in the dark alone.

"Where are you Kuroko?" Kagami wondered aloud when he was making some fried rice for himself, "Why were those Kaibutsu at your house?" Oh what Kagami wouldn't give to hear Kuroko's voice suddenly pop out of nowhere, scaring the wits out of him. Ah, but nothing can ever be so simple.

Kagami tried to focus on cooking (key word: tried), and not to fret about Kuroko. Kuroko was old enough to take care of himself, and this was probably a big misunderstanding. After all, it's not completely unreasonable that something big might have had happened and made Kuroko to forget about closing his door. Kuroko might have left just shortly before Kagami and the others had arrived, and those packages might have been delivered in the short difference in their timing. Kagami knew that the chances of that being true was slim, but he clung to it desperately. If not this, then what hope did Kagami have? But if this were true, what were the Kaibutsu there for?

Kagami poured the now done rice into a white bowl and grabbed some chopsticks. He placed the pan he was cooking with in the sink and started to eat. He could shake off the image of those Kaibutsu from his head. They plagued him until he fell asleep in his bed. Even then, he had nightmares where he and Kuroko were being chased by the Kaibutsu. The most terrifying part was when the Kaibutsu actually caught up to them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time Skip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagami woke up eventually. His sleep was restless, his worry for Kuroko making his dreams horrible. Kagami hoped they found Kuroko soon so that Kagami could sleep easier. That bastard was always getting into trouble with little to no regard at all to his own health. Kagami wouldn't be surprised if he was in a coma right now in freaking Germany because he saved Frank-Walter Steinmeier's daughter from a major car accident. Not that Kagami wouldn't be guilt-ridden and totally worried for his friend, but within the wide range of emotions that would surely hit (for something as drastic as that), surprise would not be one of them.

Kagami checked his phone more out of habit than anything. 'Shit! It's almost 7!' Kagami rushed to get ready and tried to make himself presentable for the Kiseki no Sedai. Or at least, most of them. Kagami was also starting to get worried about Kise. Both Kise and Kuroko missing at the same time? Was it just a coincidence? Or could there be more malicious intent beneath all of it?

(A/N: Imagine the Kaibutsu looks a little something like this.)

Kagami sighed. He couldn't think straight on an empty stomach and straight off from a nightmare like the one he had just had that night. He was standing in his bathroom, staring at his mirror. He looked like shit. His hair was almost rivaling Kuroko's bedhead. Kagami's eyes were red and bloodshot, like they would be just before an exciting game.

Kagami was desperately hungry, but he couldn't muster the energy to cook again. He had left the dirty dishes in the sink, exhausted. Where was Kuroko? And why was Kise also missing? Kagami looked down at his phone again (just out of habit), only then to realize that he was already late to his meeting with Akashi and the others, and he hadn't even made a move to leave his apartment. And as far as Kagami knew, he was dead meat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time Skip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagami was running as fast as he could. Sprinting is the better word. He was shoving through crowds and pushing roughly. Maybe he was making a few people have a horrible day, but Kagami could not care less. He was late for a meeting with Akashi Seijuro. Kagami figured he had well earned the right to make a few people unhappy.

"Damn... Damn..." Was all he could mutter the whole way to Maji's. He was so, so, so dead. Thankfully though, Kagami reached Maji's quickly. The restaurant was unnaturally empty, but (Ba)Kagami didn't even notice. He shoved through the doors as quickly as he could. He stumbled to a stop, struggling to catch his breath. He raised his head meekly to look at Akashi's disdainful face, Midorima and Aomine's piteous faces, and Murasakibara's indifferent one.

"Taiga, do you have a good explanation for this?" Akashi asked coldly.

Kagami was still panting, but he managed to gasp out, "I got... distracted... thinking... about... Kuroko..." Akashi didn't say anything, just stared at Kagami coldly. Kagami silently thanked Kami-sama for Akashi's silence.

"I... find that understandable." He finally said. Kagami nodded, acknowledging Akashi's words, but still unable to form his own. He kept staring at the floor until he caught his breath.

"I think we were all thinking about Tetsu." Aomine agreed, unexpectedly.

"I'm worried about Kise, too." Kagami voiced his concerns, "I mean, isn't Kise usually the first to answer you guys?"

"Eh~? But doesn't Kise-chin sometimes miss Aka-chin~?" Murasakibara dawdled, "When he has work~?"

"Hai, so I'm not worried about him." Akashi seemed so dismissive.

"But still, shouldn't we be worried?" Kagami insisted, "I mean, surely a photo shoot can't last more than 12 hours, right? And with no breaks where Kise can't even text a quick excuse?" Aomine opened his mouth to retort, but hesitated. 'See! I can use my brain!' Kagami thought defiantly.

[PhantomShadow1115: Good job, Kagami. After many years of hard work and diligence, you've managed to use one of your most fundamental parts of your body. *claps slowly]

"No." Akashi's velvety tone cut through the silence that had blanketed the table like freshly fallen snow.

"Eh? Why not?" Kagami glared at the redhead. Was he so uncaring that he'd ignore evidence that Kise might be hurt?

"Kise is old enough and capable of taking care of himself." Midorima explained when it was evident that Akashi would not, "While Kuroko is much weaker than Kise, so he requires our assistance first."

"Oh, that makes sense." Kagami muttered.

"Of course it makes sense, Bakagami!" Aomine snarled at him loudly, "He's Akashi, for fuck's sake!"

"Oi! Shut up, Ahomine!" Kagami yelled, his voice raised just a few decibels higher. After all, Kagami was never one to back down from a challenge, even if it wasn't a challenge.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!!" Aomine raised his voice even higher and shot out of his seat.

"What ya say?" Kagami said in a taunting voice, also standing up, "Ahomine? I didn't quite catch that." Aomine raised his fist, but Akashi interrupted.

"Daiki, punch him, and you will never live to see the light of day again." Aomine and Kagami both froze. Aomine out of fear, Kagami out of shock that Akashi would so blatantly say something like that in the middle of the restaurant. But both hotheads sat down and glared at each other quietly. Midorima was secretly amused by Aomine's and Kagami's reactions, but the tsundere part of him refused to show it.

"Well, Akashi, do you have a reason yet?" Midorima asked finally.

"Aka-chin, why were the Kaibutsu at Kuro-chin's house?" Murasakibara asked as well. Akashi and Midorima had filled him in on everything that went down that night.

"I..." Akashi shook his head before continuing, "I am currently trying my hardest to gather as much data as I can about the subject. But people are being close-lipped."

"In short, you don't know." Kagami summarized.

"Jeez, just how bad is this?" Aomine wondered, "And what's Tetsu got to do... Hey, is that Kise?" Aomine pointed outside the window, where indeed the blonde was standing. He was wearing a white sweater, jeans, and a hat that was covering his eyes, but the GoM had spent so much time with the model that they knew his posture (or rather, lack of) like no one else.

"Eh~? Kise-chin?" Murasakibara sighed, "Can you say hi for me, Mido-chin?"

"No, come with us." Midorima snapped. Everyone stood up and left once Akashi paid for their food. They walked swiftly in case they missed Kise, but much to their relief, Kise was still standing there. He seemed to be looking for someone. Glancing back and forth and fidgeting impatiently. Worry glinted his eyes.

"Yo, Kise!" Aomine called out once they left Maji's Burger. Kise jumped a little when he heard Aomine. Then Kise saw Akashi, Kagami, Midorima, and Murasakibara with Aomine, too, and his startled face turned grim.

"Shit... I'm so screwed." Kise muttered when the others came close. Kise made no move to run away, but instead he stood straighter, taller.

"Hello, Ryota." Akashi greeted him calmly, but an aura that promised pain surrounded him, making everyone except Kise take a step away from the hot-redhead.

"Hello, Akashi." Kise replied evenly. He surprised the others by controlling his emotions, one might even go so far to say that he was slightly glaring at Akashi. He even shocked Akashi, but he didn't show it.

"Care to explain why you ignored me?" Akashi continued in his deadly calm voice.

"Gomen, Akashicchi, but I am afraid that I'm in no position to say anything." Kise's voice was amazingly like Akashi's. It held the same cold, velvety smooth texture, yet oozing with malice. It was even and unhesitating. Even Kise's eyes had the same cold, distant look in them!

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Aomine demanded, "No position my ass!"

"Exactly that, Aominecchi." Kise explained, "My higher-ups refuse to let anything out, so I cannot say a thing."

"Kise!" came a loud and familiar cry, "Zero's waiting for you!" Himuro Tatsuya came running up towards Kise, wearing a black sweater and jeans. A silver ring hung on a silver chain gleamed in the sunlight.

"Tatsuya?" Kagami yelled in shock, "You're in on this, too?"

"Ah, so that's what's holding you up." Himuro cringed, "Yeah, kind of, Taiga."

"Ja, I have to go." Kise said, offering a half-hearted wave, "If Zero's waiting for me, then I really can't stay much." He turned and started walking towards Himuro.

"Tatsuya, explain!" Kagami demanded, "What's going on? Why'd Kise ignore Akashi? Do you guys know where Kuroko is?" Kise paused at "Kuroko" and looked over his shoulder. His eyes were narrowed into slits.

"We can't say anything... but." Kise hesitated and looked at Himuro for reassurance. Himuro shrugged. "We can take you to our higher-ups." Akashi looked at the Miracles for a silent discussion. As far as Akashi could tell, Murasakibara's expression was something like,'For Kuro-chin, absolutely.' Aomine and Kagami's were more like, 'Hell yeah, Tetsu/Kuroko needs saving, let's dive headfirst into this shit!' Midorima's was a more collected and simple, yet determined, 'Yes.'

"Very well." Akashi pushed away his pride. There were more serious things that needed his attention right now, such as a serious lead on Kuroko. If Akashi had hesitated, then who knows when he would find another clue? No, this was the best course of action.

Kise snorted and looked at Himuro. If Kise weren't facing away from him, Akashi would have seen grim amusement plastered all over his face. Himuro wore a more sympathetic expression. Kise wordlessly motioned for the Miracles to follow him. Himuro gave them one last glance before leading Kise and the other Miracles away.


	4. Fuck You Kise

**(A/N:I AM SO FREAKING SORRY I FORGOT TO UPLOAD THIS CHAPTER BEFORE THE ONE THAT COMES AFTER)**

Kise and Himuro led the Kiseki no Sedai (+Kagami) for miles and miles. They actually led the Kiseki no Sedai out of Tokyo and into Kanagawa, Kise's hometown. They were now walking through a park, the early afternoon sun shining cheerfully down on everyone.

No words were spoken the entire way, but inside everyone' heads, thoughts were blaring loudly. The Kiseki no Sedai were anxiously wondering why Kise was acting like this, and how Kuroko was tied into all of this. Kagami included.

Kise and Himuro were (belatedly) trying to find a good excuse that would pass Zero's standards for bringing the Kiseki no Sedai. They weren't supposed to bring back any souvenirs, as this could cause everyone to become endangered **(A/N: Dear reader, you'll find out soon enough how and why).**

The best they could think of was, "They insisted and we pitied them. They were really worried for their friend!" But that was so flimsy that the both just gave up and started mentally preparing for their inevitable demise. _'Damn it, we're in the shit now.'_ Kise thought, though he hid his despair well, _'Zero will kill me then bring me back to life to kill me a thousand more times.'_ Himuro, on the other hand, was worrying more about the Kiseki no Sedai's health.

Finally, Kagami's patience had run thin. He'd only been holding himself in because he had busied himself with worrying about Kuroko, but now his worries had brought up more questions than they suppressed. **(A/N: I'm not exactly sure how anyone thinks that drowning themselves in their problems will help distract them from their problems. That's like the OPPOSITE of what you want to do. But, Kagami was always an idiot).**

"Tatsuya!" Kagami yelled, making everyone else jump at the sudden noise in the tense silence, "You haven't answered anything! Can't you even drop hints?"

"Kagamicchi, keep your voice down-ssu!" Kise hissed. He glanced around worriedly. No one at the park seemed to notice, so Kise grabbed Kagami tightly and dragged them towards a nearby bunch of bushes. He forced Kagami into a crouch and motioned for others to do the same. They complied, bewildered by the blonde's obvious panic.

"Why would I have to do that?" Kagami whisper-yelled, "Just fucking answer my question, can you even drop hints?" Kise looked exasperatedly at Himuro, who was standing up. Himuro shrugged wordlessly, pretty much saying, _'Do what you'd like.'_ Kise scowled at him darkly, but Himuro chuckled, unfazed. Kise glanced around again.

"Himuro-san, go and stand guard." Kise commanded in a low voice, "And don't you dare let a Kaibutsu get anywhere near us. My scent will surely attract them." Himuro nodded, and walked just a few paces away. He stood in a calm and relaxed pose, as if he were just standing there for the heck of it. Kise frowned at the Kiseki no Sedai, weighing his options.

"We ran into the Kaibutsu before." Murasakibara informed Kise, who's eyes widened, "They were at Kuro-chin's house."

"Describe them." Was all Kise said. So Akashi and Midorima started to describe the werewolf as best as they could. When they had finished, Kise had cursed underneath his breath. _'Shit, shit, shit.'_ He thought, _'We ACTUALLY have the worst luck ever. Damn it!'_

"Okay." Kise took a deep breath, "What I'm about to show you, will change your life forever. No joke. There will literally be a Before and an After." Kise grabbed the hem of his pants and pulled down a little. The Kiseki no Sedai were inwardly panicking, because it looked like Kise was going to pull his pants down, but they were too shocked by his boldness to do anything. Much to their relief (and parents around the world), he only tugged down his pants a little. But what came out was a whole other story.

Around his backside, a long, fluffy, golden-yellow tail came out. It looked like a wolf's tail, and was a slightly darker shade of yellow than Kise's actual hair. Out of his head, long, pointy triangles of wolf ears of the same color rose, previously being flattened against his head. Kise swishes his tail around, and sighed in contentment.

"Ja, my tail was getting so stuffed in my pants-ssu!" He declared, "So uncomfortable-ssu!" The Kiseki no Sedai just gawked at their friend. Akashi's eyes widened, Midorima choked on his own saliva, Aomine and Kagami had their eyes and mouth wide open, and Murasakibara stopped chewing, dropped his snacks, and stared at Kise with wide eyes.

Kise tried to hide how crushed he was. He knew what was flying through their heads, he _lived _everyday now with people who thought just that. He _knew_ that no one really understood what it was like to but like him. But he wasn't born this way! And this wasn't something Kise had chosen for himself! No, this was the work of another.

But now Kise would always be shunned because of it. He would be treated like an unintelligent inferior, less than human! Even though Kise may be the most humble, helpful, and kind person on Earth, he would not be treated like that. No, people would not act upon his character, but instead his "race" **(A/N: What I mean by this is that since Kise is now part of the half-human-half-animal minority, he stripped of his status as a Japanese human and now instead another species entirely. No offense meant).**

"Th-the hell?" Kagami stared at Kise's tail and ears, "W-what-oomph!" He was cut off by Midorima slamming his elbow into his gut.

"Baka, think!" Midorima snapped at him in a low voice, "And try, for once, not to be so rude!"

"It's okay, Midorimacchi." Kise let a small chuckle, "I get that a lot now. We're what people call Hybrids. Half animal, half human. But not of _choice!_ And we weren't born this way..."

"K-kitsune?" Midorima stuttered softly, "You're a kitsune?"

"No, silly." Now that Kise's tail was out of his pants, he was acting more like his cheerful self, "Does this _look _like a fox tail?"

"Y-yes." Kagami managed, "It looks very much like a fox tail." Kise pouted at Kagami and opened his mouth to retort, but Himuro (and the screams of the public) cut in.

"Kise?" He called uncertainly, "We've got company!" Again, Kise cursed underneath his breath. Four large Kaibutsu (the wolf kind) were snarling at them. People were running away and screaming, and very much irritating the Kaibutsu.

"Stay here." He said seriously, "Only me and Himuro can injure them, so you'll just be holding us back. Understood?" He waited for everyone to nod before dashing away to help Himuro. Snarls of rage rang through the air as the Kaibutsu leaped at the pair. Himuro released a long black cat-like tail and triangle ears.

They were more of a equilateral while Kise's were more of isosceles. The Kiseki no Sedai watched in awe as Kise and Himuro successfully ripped out their throats (among other things that I won't be mentioning) after a few minutes of wrestling and slashing each other up. Kise nodded at the Kiseki no Sedai, motioning for them that it was okay to come out.

"So how did you become like this, Muro-chin?" Murasakibara, for once, was actually interested in something other than food.

"Ah, it's a long story." Himuro rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "And we ought to get you guys somewhere safer than here. Quickly, we'll tell you guys later."

"Shit, we need to go." Kise said, looking around worriedly, "If these guys are here then more are sure to come." Akashi nodded to them. Akashi hated this. He hated following other people. Relying on others was not his forte.

"Okay, lead on." Akashi received an odd look from Kise, as if Kise were trying to piece together an anomaly in front of him.

"Quickly, we're almost there-ssu!" Kise finally said. They quickened their pace from earlier. Akashi silently watched Kise's tail swish around. The park had cleared, thanks to the Kaibutsu. Akashi had been so shocked when Kise had shown him his tail. That had felt like someone had jerked a large, comfortable rug from underneath him, and now he was sitting on a thin layer of glass. Underneath the glass was a deep abyss of water. And in that water was huge sharks. Twisting around and around.

Akashi had felt a horrible jolt of shock and a sense of falling. When he had been put back into his senses, he then realized how ill-equipped he was. How that rug of ignorance had both been protecting him and killing him. Akashi could tell there were both positive and negative ways to look at his situation. Normally, when Akashi was thrown in for a surprise, he collected all the data, and made an analysis. This would calm him down, and clear his head and allow him to think.

But there was no data to be collected. Kise and Himuro insisted that everything the Kiseki no Sedai learned must be approved by their higher-ups. It was so frustrating. Akashi was sincerely worried for Kuroko. What had happened to their little bluenette?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time Skip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They came to a small back alley behind an old inn. Kise and Himuro helped them jump a black iron fence. The asphalt was cracked and old. Kagami felt a small shiver of fear. Who knew what was here? Where was Kise taking them? Kise walked up to a faded red door. It was nothing special, dark red, the paint chipping. It had an old-looking round knob. Kise grabbed the knob, but he didn't twist.

"Guys..." Kise hesitated, "Just know what you're about to see... It's for the best... for everyone. And it's honestly better than it looks. Truthfully." That didn't help with anybody's nerves.

"Just open the damn door." Aomine said, "Don't kill us with suspense." Kise looked at him. Little did the Kiseki no Sedai know, Kise was thinking, _'I'm sorry guys, I'm taking you in like a lamb to slaughter.'_

But regardless, Kise knew that his friends wouldn't appreciate him sugar-coating anything. Even if they didn't fully understand what they were about to see. Kise finally opened the door, which swung outward. Inside was a long, dark, and descending staircase.

"4-11, hurry up!" a voice echoed from below.

"Hai, hai!" Answered a familiar voice. The Kiseki no Sedai started at that voice.

"Takao?" Midorima muttered, "4-11? What kind of nickname is that?"

"Ja, I'm afraid that's no nickname." Himuro said, somehow suddenly behind the Kiseki no Sedai. Everyone jumped, because they hadn't even known Himuro was there.

"Muro-chin. Please don't do that, Muro-chin." Murasakibara begged him. Though the beginning was in the same tone as his normal talking voice.

"Hai." Himuro gently nudged everyone, "Well? Aren't you going in?" Everyone nodded. They mentally prepared themselves before stepping down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time Skip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**(LMAO, walking down took so long)**

Kagami thanked Kami-sama that they were nearing the end of the stairs. Honestly, Seirin should just do stairs with that staircase instead of practice. It would literally have the exact same effect. His legs burned, and Kagami could tell even the Kiseki no Sedai were struggling to keep pushing on, one foot in front of the other.

"Kagamicchi!" Kise yelled, making everyone's ears hurt, because the staircase was an echo chamber, and making Kagami realized he'd spoke aloud, "Don't say that! Otherwise Zerocchi will make us actually do just that for hours non-stop!" Kagami paled. _'This "Zero" must be such a slave driver... kind of like Akashi and Coach...'_ Kagami shuddered. He imagined another person like those two, only... _worse._ But his imagination failed him. Kagami _could not_ think of anyone worse than Akashi or Coach.

But then, the panic on Kise's face looked very sincere, so that meant that Zero would actually do that. Kagami deduced that there was actually someone worse than Akashi or Coach _combined._ Coach wouldn't _kill_ her boys, and Akashi usually kind of cared about his player's well-being. Then, a terrifying thought struck Kagami like an iron bull.

"Kise, Zero's pretty close to you, right?" Kagami hesitantly asked. Kise nodded in confirmation, "Then, if this is what he's like to people that's close to him, then what's he like to strangers?" Kise didn't answer, only looked down at his feet.

Himuro tried to explain, but came up blank, "He is... ah... quite the... ah..." In the end, all Kagami got was, "He's something." and, "You'll see." Kagami pressed for more answers, but their replies continued to be the same. How frustrating.

"Don't worry, Kagamicchi." Kise said brightly, "If Zerocchi decides to kill you, at least he'll give you the mercy of making it quick and painless-ssu! A quick nip to the throat-ssu!" Kagami and the other Kiseki no Sedai stopped walking and stared at Kise like they were just realizing he was insane. Himuro snorted.

"Kise..." Aomine muttered, "You don't go around saying stuff like that in such a tone." Kise just looked at Aomine with a tilted head, a question written(figuratively) on his face.

"He means don't sound so cheerful when you're talking about someone's death." Himuro jumped in. Kise tilted his head back and his mouth curved into a silent, _'Oh'_ as realization dawned on him.

"Sorry, Aominecchi!" Kise said, in the exact same tone, "But... Zerocchi says that sugar-coating words gets no one anywhere, and I don't think you need to hear that in such a somber voice-ssu." Aomine sighed and rolled his eyes. But the Kiseki no Sedai turned around and started walking the last few steps. When they looked into the place that Kise and Himuro brought them to, their jaws went dropped, even Akashi's.

It was a large cavern. Like a really long, wide, and tall hallway. There was a high arching ceiling, but at the very top was pointed upwards (not unlike the ceiling of the Three Broomsticks in Harry Potter). There were thousands of doors on the sides of the hallway and catwalks connecting them. In the center was a small stream. The water came from aqueducts that opened up next to the entrance way.

There were lanterns hanging beside every door, and hanging from underneath the catwalk, even a few floating in the stream. People were hand washing clothes in the stream and drinking water. People were clustered around, sparring with real swords, or laughing over a joke while practicing a poison.

There were people leaping around on the catwalks, leaping from catwalk to catwalk. There were little kids playing tag. But the most astonishing part was that Kagami could spot Izuki and Takao flying around, wings on their backs, helping around whenever they were called.

"Senpai!" Kagami called out to Izuki, trying to wave him down, "Izuki-senpai!" Izuki's head snapped towards Kagami. He came down. Kagami gawked at how easily Izuki swooped down. He had elegant dark grey wings.

"Kagami?" He said incredulously, "Wha-how are you here?" Kagami turned on his heel, pointing towards Kise. Or rather, where Kise was. Kagami turned in a confused circle. But when he was facing back around towards Izuki, he saw Himuro standing behind Izuki, a finger pressed to his lips, telling Kagami to stay quiet. Izuki followed Kagami's gaze. But before Kagami could warn Izuki, there was a flash of gold.

"KYAA!" Kise cried, leaping onto Izuki's back, "Got you-ssu!" The Kiseki no Sedai watched with amusement (though they're still pretty shocked) as Izuki leaped away in fright. Then he saw Himuro and shouted again. Then he seemed to start connecting the dots.

"Kise!" He hissed underneath his breath, "Have you gone mad? You know Zero's policy!" Kise made fake tears.

"Ah, so mean-ssu!" he wailed, "And what about Himuro-ssu?" Izuki rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Himuro-san would never do something so irresponsible unless you're involved." Izuki smacked the back of Kise's head.

"Yo!" Takao called as he landed. Then he noticed the problem, "Oh, did Kise bring back more?" The Kiseki no Sedai wondered how many times this had happened that Izuki and Takao looked only mildly upset. More exasperated.

"Hai!" Kise sighed brightly, all his fake tears gone. Himuro flicked Kise's forehead. Takao opened his mouth to say something but then he saw something on the catwalk. He blanched and flew away.

"Where is Kazunari going?" Akashi asked Himuro coldly. But the others caught sight of what Takao had seen. Their eyes wide and their faces pale.

"A-ah." Himuro stuttered, "Zero's here." He pointed up towards a catwalk. Akashi followed his finger to see a shadowed figure on a catwalk. His form was familiar, but Akashi couldn't tell who it was.

"Akashi-kun, Kagami-kun, Aomine-kun, Midorima-kun, and Murasakibara-kun." the figure greeted with an icy tone, "Kise-kun..." Kise whimpered, "Wait for me in the room." Kise nodded and dashed off. Then the figure jumped off the catwalk (which was about 20 ft up).

**[A/N: I can already say that you guys already know who that is. Anyways, sorry for such a long chapter! About 3,000 words long! Thank you for reading!]**


	5. Found 'Em

**[A/N: Hey! I hope you like this chapter! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been distracted by other fanfictions (and also, who knew 7th grade is so stressful?!). Anyhow, enjoy this chapter!]**

Akashi stared at the familiar bluenette before him. Well, familiar was a loose term, wasn't it? He was taller, and his eyes were no longer blank and emotionless. They were icy now. The stoic azure that Akashi had grown comfortable with was gone, replaced by a gaze in which Akashi had grown accustomed to seeing in a mirror. And that was just the beginning. Kuroko had the same triangular ears as Himuro, and a _very _long baby blue tail. Was this the same person Akashi had known for over four years?

Akashi just... couldn't. He couldn't believe his eyes. They had never lied to him before, but now they must be. Kuroko, he _couldn't_ change. He was Kuroko Tetsuya, the quiet Phantom Sixth Man of the Generation of Miracles. He was kind and compassionate, and loved basketball. Nothing could make his will waver or fluctuate, not even Akashi. If Kuroko wanted something to happen a certain way, no matter what, Kuroko would make sure it would happen.

"Tetsuya." Akashi finally managed to croak, "You-"

"Spare me, Akashi-kun." Kuroko interrupted, his gaze sweeping over the others, taking them in, scraping their souls bare of any excuses and clean of hopes that this were some sort of odd (though somehow fitting for Kuroko) joke, "Why are you here? Did Himuro-san not... _lament _to you why you haven't been contacted?" Akashi fumbled to say something. Kuroko's voice was much... colder. There was still the same politeness, yet it seemed more condescending than sincere. An air of disdain surrounded the bluenette.

"T-Tatsuya did not." Kagami stuttered, jumping in when it was obvious Akashi was speechless, "He just said something about consequences, and stuff. He seemed too nervous to, strangely. And we're supposed to get some sort of confirmation from his... 'higher-ups'" Kuroko's face remained indifferent, though Akashi did not miss the slight furrowing of the bluenette's brows.

"Well, at least Himuro-san has _some_ sense of self-preservation." Kuroko commented offhandedly, making the numbness in Akashi's stomach spread like frost in the Arctic, "Then, come with me. Rainbow will be _very _interested in you." Kuroko turned around and led them to a ladder hanging down from one of the catwalks. Kuroko used his tail to motion to them in a beckoning motion. The baffled others followed. Kuroko easily leaped up to the catwalk, not bothering to use the ladder. His tail swished back and forth as he waited for Kiseki no Sedai to clamber on up. When they had nearly reached the catwalk, Kuroko started walking. His long tail swishing around.

Akashi tried and failed to think of something worth commenting on, just to start a conversation with the bluenette. To find an excuse to ask the question they all wanted to say, _'What happened to you?'_ Why was Kuroko like this? Wha- what was going on? Kuroko let the silence stand, and the others were far too gobsmacked to think of something to say. Oh, Akashi could see the irony. This was just like middle school, when Akashi had split with his alter ego, Oreshi. Only now, the tables had turned, and their positions were reversed. Kuroko was the one who had changed, and Akashi had to bring him back. Whether the GoM backed him up or not.

Of course, Akashi didn't doubt the GoM's loyalty to each other, or to Kuroko. Merely, Akashi doubted Kuroko wanted to be so thoroughly questioned and reasoned with. Oreshi certainly hadn't. No one wants to be told their actions are wrong, and what they're doing needs to change. It was part of their masculine pride. But, like Kuroko had decided in Teiko, sometimes people need to be taken off their high horses. So, that's what Akashi must do for Kuroko now! No matter what, Akashi needed to bring back the old Kuroko!

**[A/N: Okay, don't kill me for the short chapter. I swear I didn't want this. I just felt so bad that I hadn't updated in nearly a year, and I wanted to get something out... **_**there**_**. But at the same time, interrupting the story at other times will ruin the flow, so this is the best I could do, for now. I promise, I'll try to get out the next chapter by July. With my horrible planning and fluctuating focus, I think that's the best I can try to reach. Thanks for your never-ending patience. Ja ne~]**


	6. Stay Healthy, Stay Safe, Stay Calm

Thank you for your indefinite patience, and I sincerely apologize. I'm neglecting my responsibilities as both a writer and a student. I'm currently refusing to do my homework and my other works (for now, but I'll head back to them soon). And I have, like, a month of nothing to do (because of CoV-19 and etc.), so I might be able to get out a couple chapters! Also, stay safe and clean, and don't panic. Honestly, I tried getting toilet paper today and there was none. Anywhere. Nor was there any wipes, paper towels, paper plates, or anything else. Seriously, calm down, people. I get that the media and etc. is making this epidemic sound super scary, like, I get that. But so long as you don't unnecessarily start touching people a lot, share food, or just generally behave not-hygienically, you won't get sick. Even then, young and healthy people get something along the lines of a mild cold. No big deal. And limit your media intake! Only read trusted sources, like that government website (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention I think), and if you do read things on the Internet, take them with a grain of salt. We need to get this message out there, for people not to panic! Please share this information with people. The less panic and mayhem and more order, the better we can slow down the spread and the quicker we can get rid of this virus! Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay calm.


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